What does “usagi” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “usagi” to mean ‘rabbit’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese movies, songs, novels, manga, anime, and the like. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail together with example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners understand “usagi” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meaning of “usagi”
Let me start with the definition and meaning of “usagi”.
- usagi – 兎 (うさぎ) : a noun meaning ‘rabbit’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
Native speakers use this noun to refer to a rabbit or rabbits in Japanese. The kanji character was created in accordance with the shape of a rabbit. Honestly, I’m not sure if it really looks so, but the upper part seems to represent ears of a rabbit. It’s also worth mentioning here that Japanese native speakers don’t often write this noun in kanji. The hiragana expression, or perhaps the katakana expression depending on the situation, is very acceptable and understandable.
The definition and meaning of “usagi” are simple and clear, I think. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “rabbits” in Japanese
koko wa usagi no shima desu – ここはうさぎの島です (ここはうさぎのしまです)
This is the island of rabbits.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- koko – ここ : a demonstrative pronoun used to refer to a place very close to the speaker. In the example, this is used to mean ‘this’ in Japanese.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “koko” to make the subject in the sentence.
- no – の : a case particle used to join two nouns. Normally, the first one can work as a modifier to describe the second. In the example, this is used to join “usagi” and “shima”. The formed phrase literally means an ‘island of rabbits’ in Japanese. Word orders in Japanese and English are different, but the role of this case particle is very similar to that of the English preposition, “of”.
- shima – 島 (しま) : a noun meaning ‘island’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
- desu – です : an auxiliary verb used after a noun or adjective to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese desu form. In the example, this is used after the noun phrase, “usagi no shima”, to make it sound polite.
This is a typical usage of “usagi”. In this example, it works as a part of the noun phrase, “usagi no shima”, which means ‘the island of rabbits’ in Japanese. When we want to mean a ‘rabbit’ or ‘rabbits’ in Japanese, this noun is the best option.
Example #2: another usage of “usagi”
nihonjin wa tsuki no usagi wo shinji te iru – 日本人は月の兎を信じている (にほんじんはつきのうさぎをしんじている)
Japanese people believe in rabbits on the moon.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- nihonjin – 日本人 (にほんじん) : a noun meaning ‘Japanese people’ or just ‘Japanese’ in Japanese.
- tsuki – 月 (つき) : a noun meaning ‘the moon’ in Japanese.
- wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “tsuki no usagi” to make the object in the sentence.
- shinji – 信じ (しんじ) : one conjugation of the verb, “shinjiru“, which means “to believe” in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- te – て : a conjunctive particle used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its te form. In the example, this is used after “shinji” to make its te form, “shinji te”. Verbs need to be changed to their te forms to be connected with “iru”.
- iru – いる : an auxiliary verb used to express the continuity of the action described by the preceding verb. In the example, this is used after the te-formed verb, “shinji te”, to express the continuity of its action, ‘to believe’.
This is another typical usage of “usagi”. In this example, it works as a part of the noun phrase, “tsuki no usagi”, which means ‘rabbits on the moon’ in Japanese. In Japan, interestingly, it was believed that rabbits were on the moon and pounding steamed rice to make rice cakes. Today, we know that they are not living on the moon, but this kind of legend is still very common among Japanese people. The famous character in the Pretty Guardian Sailer Moon, “Tsukino Usagi”, was named after this legend.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “usagi”. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- usagi – 兎 (うさぎ) : a noun meaning ‘rabbit’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. The kanji character was created in accordance with the shape of a rabbit. I’m not sure if it really looks so, but the upper part seems to represent ears of a rabbit. It’s also worth mentioning here that native speakers don’t often write this noun in kanji. The hiragana expression, or perhaps the katakana expression depending on the situation, is very acceptable and understandable.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
